Second Best
by Psychic Karate
Summary: It sucks being the rival of who might be the very best Pokemon trainer who ever lived. Especially if you know you can't ever win. Told from Blue's point of view. Oneshot.


My whole life, I've been second best.

Red's always been more liked by everyone, which makes sense because he actually has parents. Me? My parents die of a car accident when I'm little, and I get stuck with an always-busy Pokemon Professor instead of a caring mom who bakes cookies every Saturday.

I've been left to my own devices more than once while living with my grandfather. He's always away, or studying Pokemon, or doing some kind of thing too dangerous for a seven-year-old kid to mess around with. So I used to devote my time into trying to get him to notice me.

First I tried it the good way. Y'know, with "I got a 100 on the test" or "I won the race at school" or "Look, I drew a picture of a Squirtle", but he never really noticed. Just simple "Oh"s or "Okay"s or even "Go away, I'm busy"s.

He sometimes even forgot my name back then, and sometimes now. Blue isn't too hard to remember, and him being my grandfather and always remembering Red's name kind of hurt. You have no idea how much I wanted to have Red's life. So. My list of options were rapidly dwindling. I drew pictures every day. I studied for hours on every single test to bring home a perfect report card. I tried to impress the professor with knowledge on Pokemon. I tried everything.

Finally I concluded that he wouldn't notice me unless I did something bigger. And I asked myself what I could do, and within my genius brain I found an answer.

The next day, I sent a kid to the hospital.

I did accomplish my original plan, but I promised myself never, ever, would I do that again. I think I still have the marks on my back.

Yeah. Owwie.

So I decided verbal abuse would be a little better.

By then, Red was coming over my house like every other day, sharing ideas and facts with the professor like he was his grandson, not me. He acknowledged him, listened to him, and everything. I began to harbor not just annoyance but real bitterness and anger. I asked myself why he seemed to like him more. And again, my genius brain came up with an answer. I'm just not good enough.

But how? I've done everything. I didn't know how he didn't like his own grandson more than just some random kid. I took out my anger on poor Red, calling him names, scraping away at his confidence, telling him he'll never, ever be as good as me. I was dead wrong, and I knew it. But he belived the lies I fed him, and often returned to his house crying.

I thought I had gotten Professor Oak to notice me at last when he came up to my room and said, "Blue, we need to talk."

He sat down on my bed and looked down at me, his eyes hardening and containing an emotion I had never seen directed at me before.

"Blue, I'm disappointed in you. You know Red will become a fine young trainer and even the Champion, but you let your jealousy get into the way. Now, why did you say those things to Red?"

I was at a loss for words. For some reason, I had gotten it into my head that he would be proud of me for saying whatever I had said to Red. So, I was honestly confused.

"I... don't know what you mean..." I stammered out, tugging at a strand of brown hair. "I thought that you would be happy."

"Happy?" Professor Oak actually barked out rough laughter. "Blue, I can safely assure you that I have not been more disappointed - or angry - in my life. How did you manage to believe that you would ever make me happy?"

I was seven, almost eight at the time. I was still small, and still didn't quite understand why he was saying this, so I began to cry.

This just made him even more angry.

I cringed as he shouted at me, finally ending the nightmare by sighing and shaking his head. Then he left my room, and I was left on my own to curl up into a little ball and sob for what seemed like eternity.

That was my life until I became a Pokemon Trainer. I recieved Squirtle the same time Red recieved Charmander, and we went on our separate ways, only managing to bump into one another a few times.

Those few times really crushed me.

We always had a battle whenever we saw each other, and each time I lost. Each time I lost by a landslide and had to force my face into a smile that was slowly killing me, hand over money, and walk away. I think I lost a bit of myself whenever I had to pretend I had lost by bad luck.

The truth is, Red is so much better than I am in Pokemon training. I just had a small head start because of all of my background knowledge about Pokemon and type weaknesses. Then he began to catch up and surpassed me quickly.

The day I battled him on the SS Anne may have been the worst time, not just because I lost so badly, but because of my Pokemon. I watched as his Charmander-turned-Charmeleon bathed my Raticate in flames even after he had fallen. I had to listen to flames crisp away my third Pokemon's fur and smell the smoke. I was powerless to stop it.

I never told Red that he had killed my Raticate on the ship, even after he had run into me in the midst of mourning at the Pokemon Tower, or even later at the Silph headquarters.

I tried not to blame him for it. I admire the kid. I really do. I think Red's a great Pokemon Trainer, and he's amazing with Pokemon, but... you know, him being my rival and all... It's hard to stay sane when someone that perfect is racing against you to become the Champion.

Especially after I beat the Elite Four and assumed the lofty position of Champion for about two seconds. Then Red walked into the room and I knew it was all over.

It was a long battle. 'Round the end, I actually began hoping that maybe, just maybe, I would manage to win and keep my position, but a Mega Punch and two fire attacks from his Charizard took out my last Pokemon.

Seriously.

A full-health Blastoise verses a full-health Charizard. Should have been an easy win for me. But nooo, Red had to go and win because he's freaking RED and he NEVER LOSES.

Yeah, I couldn't beleive it either when it happened. There was this moment when everything kind of blurred around me, and I couldn't think because I just became the most powerful trainer in the world for like two seconds and the I wasn't anymore because I had lost the most important battle in my entire life and a fire-type Pokemon just took out a water-type and also somehow survived a direct hit from a Hydro Pump and...

Sorry, am I rambling?

The thing is, I lost, and I wasn't the Champion anymore.

But when Professor Oak entered the room I really wanted to die then.

"Red, congratulations! I just heard the news."

Red smiled, pride shining in his eyes like faraway beacons. "It was hard, but I did it. My Pokemon did it."

I tried to slip away, in hopes that no one would notice me there, but of course Professor Oak did.

"Blue, I headed over to congratulate you on your win and tell you that I was very proud, but before I could get here Red had already beaten you." There was that disappointed, stern look again.

I put my hand behind my head, in a weak attempt to look nonchalant. "Well, maybe you should have come faster," I mumbled. "Anyway, it was a perfect battle. I just lost 'cuz of bad luck."

Yeah, right, bad luck. More like 'Red's actually a lot better than I am'.

"You foolish boy. Red beat you because he actually had trust in his Pokemon, and they trusted him. He had a bond with them, and that's what made him win this battle." And with a final look at me, he said, "It's not all about brute strength or strategy." Then he turned away, looking towards Red.

"Come on, it's time to record your win and tell everyone about the new champion."

And that was that. They left, and I was alone again.

Untill I really began to think about that Professor Oak had told me. It's not all about brute strength or strategy.

He had mentioned something about a bond earlier. And it hit me.

Pokemom training and battling and trading and catching all requires trust, and I trust my Pokemon as they trust me. So why hadn't I won the battle? If I have a bond with my Pokemon, then why didn't I win against Red?

It was because Red had something special. His Pokemon were a part of him. They moved like they were connected. And people have always said that you bond through trauma.

All that time, when I thought Red was being stupid and risking his life to stop Team Rocket or whatever, he was growing stronger with his Pokemon. Unlike me.

Wow. What a slap in the face.

So basically I had the worst day of my life. Losing my Championship title before I even got to abuse it, facing my grandfather in front of Red, having Red prove me wrong. It was, needless to say, really bad.

After Professor Oak and the new Champion went off in a seperate room like I had before, I wasn't sure what to do. I had lost my position and my goal in one Pokemon battle. I supposed I could start up training again, but to do what? Get beaten by Red again?

I used to think winning took more out of a person than losing did, but I changed my mind on that day. Losing takes more out of you, especially if you lose after giving it your all, and when your Pokemon hurt just so you can win, and you don't.

I touched my Pokeballs and slowly walked out, hands in pockets and head lowered. I brought my Pokemon to the center and a Nurse Joy healed them up, handing me my Pokeballs with her standard farewell of "Hope to see you again!"

It was then when it crossed my mind, aren't Pokemon centers hospitals for Pokemon?

If so, why the heck would you "hope to see" someone again, in a hospital?

I concluded tiredly that my recent loss had maybe taken some of my sanity, so I promptly booked a room and fell asleep on the white sheets. I think I might've woken up and cried a little... but, you know, tears dry, right?

Yeah, riiight...

Next morning I woke up and for a second I was surrounded with this feeling of... peace, I guess. The blankets were warm and fluffy. Like marshmallows. Or something along the lines of that.

But, as many people say, good things never last. I rolled over and the blankets tangled up in my legs, hampering my movement. I tried to push them away, but they were too heavy, and I gave up, choosing instead to let out a long sigh.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, feeling rough dried tears under my fingers. As I brushed my teeth and combed my hair halfheartedly I was faced with the same dilemma as before.

What was I going to do, now that I wasn't the Champion anymore?

I could try again and attempt to take the position back. But I was never ever going to be able to beat Red.

It crossed my mind that I could be a Coordinator and participate in contests, but I didn't think that would exactly work out for me.

A Pokemon Researcher, and maybe later a Professor, sounded decent, but that would mean I would have to work with my grandfather.

The only thing left was to start traveling and try my hand at completing the PokeDex. I had already caught most of the more common Pokemon around the area, so I wouldn't have that much more to go before I could do it.

It didn't sound like a bad idea.

So I left the Center, walking and fingering my PokeDex. If I couldn't beat Red at battling, I'll beat him at capturing. I shoved the loss of the Championship title away and set my mind to the new goal.

It seemed like the only way I could stay sane. Moving so quickly.

Or at least alive.

0-0-0-0-0

_This was written all on one day, on a complete whim. I've always wondered what happened to Blue after you beat him. I know he tries to complete the PokeDex but gets it smashed, but what does he do after that?_

_Yeah, I didn't try to make something up for him in the story, I basically did a summary/monologue of his life in the game and the Origins anime. So... Review and stuff._

_-PK_


End file.
